Bobbin supports for battery looms



Aug. 23, 1960 1.. G. URQUHART 2,949,938

BOBBIN SUPPORTS FOR BATTERY LOOMS Filed Nov. 26, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet Augr23, 1960 L. G. URQUHART 2,949,938

BOBBIN SUPPORTS FOR BATTERY LOOMS Filed Nov. 26. 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 BQBBIN SUPPORTS FOR BATTERY LOGMS Lloyd G. Urquhart, Westhoro, Mass, assign'or to H. F. Livermore Corporation, Boston, Mass, a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 26, 1956, er. No. 624,458

7 Claims. (Cl. 139-251) This invention relates to the rotary magazines or batteries used in automatic looms to hold a supply of fresh bobbins to be fed successively under the transferrer for automatic insertion in the shuttle. In particular, it relates to the swinging bobbin support which holds a bobbin yieldingly in position so as to be forced down out of the magazine by' the transferrer and into the shuttle when weft replenishment is required.

The swinging bobbin support of stock design provided in the conventional Draper battery loom is made in one piece out of cast iron, with no compensation for wear of the surfaces at the foot which engage and support the butt of the bobbin next to be transferred and without any provision for taking up wear at the hub whereby it is pivoted to the battery. At a result of wear at these points, as well as sagging of the bobbin disk through wear of its hub or the stud on which it revolves, eventually slack amounting to from inch to as much as 3/ of an inch is permitted the butt of such bobbin between the bobbin support and the bobbin guide or fixed stop which is intended to cooperate with the swinging bobbin support to hold this bobbin securely. Hence when the bobbin is struck down by the transferrer and the bobbin support is swung aside by the descending bobbin butt in effecting the transfer the bobbin escapes and gets ahead of the transferrer. The transferrer thereafter catches up with it in flight and strikes it a second blow which usually breaks the Weft end between the bobbin and the weft-end holder. Such breakage of the weft end from this source is extremely troublesome, and occurs almost invariably when rayon Weft is being woven under this condition. The only cure hitherto has been to discard the bobbin support and replace it by a new one.

Further, the momentum of the swinging bobbin support when made of cast iron, as usual, often causes it to be thrown out of position by the bobbin butt faster than the bobbin butt descends. Thus it losses contact with the butt and the bobbin is not guided properly by' the stationary bobbin guide during its descent, and does not enter the shuttle properly or completely, with disastrous results, such as breakage of parts or warps or a shuttle smash.

Additionally, the loose holding of the lowermost bobbin permits rotation of the bobbin due to vibration, with consequent slackuess of the weft, which results in frequent breakage of the weft end during transfer, as is well known.

The prior type of swinging bobbin support providesno adjustment for positioning diiferent sizes of bobbin butts correctly. When bobbins having a different diameter of butt are to be run, it is necessary to replace the whole swinging bobbin support with one of different and appropriate dimensions. Nor does it provide any compensation for wear of the adjacent and cooperating parts or for errors in casting and machining of the components of the battery and transfer mechanism.

Further, it is conventional practice of loom builders to anticipate the eventual sagging of the bobbin disk through wear of its hub or the stud on which it revolves, by making the swinging bobbin support with excess length at the outset. This means that such support .does not 2949338 Fatented Aug. 23, 1960 hold the bobbin butt up in its notch tightly enough to prevent its rotation, until such wear occurs.

To remedy these shortcomings, the invention provides a novel and improved swinging bobbin support which is made mainly of aluminum or other light metal. As a result, the bobbin support is of about one-third the weight of the prior cast iron one, so that its inertia. and momentum are greatly reduced enabling it during transfer to exert continuous and prolonged pressure against the bobbin butt as long as the latter remains within the range of the bobbin support, thus keeping the butt properly against the bobbin guide and so attaining longer and better control of the descending bobbin to make certain its proper entry' into the shuttle.

The new device provides automatic variation, within limits, of the effective radius of the swinging support by a resilient and inherently flexible support for the bobbin butt in the form of a hardened spring steel surface, highly resistant to wear, but if worn or damaged instantly replaceable on the swinging support by hand with merely the use of a screw driver. This spring steel supporting surface is itself mounted on perches, preferably spaced pins, extending laterally from the bobbin support, which makes it resilient under shock, thus reducing fatigue and likelihood of breakage. This spring steel member has an oblique face at its front or delivery end which forms a guiding surface to maintain longer contact with the descending bobbin butt as the arm recedes under pres sure of the butt. The resilient supporting surface is curved on a radius matching that of the bobbin disk, so that its upward pressure against the bobbin butt is practically constant as the bobbins move successively into transfer position and throughout the time each stays there. By reason of the resilience of the supporting surface, constant pressure holding the bobbin against sagging and rotation in its notch while awaiting transfer is attained without the need of precise machining and fitting of the parts.

In this way, breakage of the weft end either through a double blow of the transferrer or through slackening of the weft ends through bobbin rotation when in transfer position is prevented. Superior control of the bobbin during its descent is attained, ensuring proper seating of the new bobbin in the shuttle. Additionally, the resilient supporting surface automatically takes care of a material range of diiferences in bobbin head diameters.

To provide for adjustment of the effective length of the new bobbin support to compensate for Wear of the bobbin disks hub or its supporting stud, and for differences in bobbin head diameters beyond the range of the resilient supporting spring and to hold the bobbin butt securely up in its notch beyond possibility of rotation, and to provide adjustment for wear of the pivot or hub supporting it on the battery as well as for errors in machining or setting up the parts of the battery, in accordance with the invention the novel bobbin support is mounted on an eccentric stud or bushing fixed to the battery by a retaining screw and shouldered to leave the bobbin support arm free. Angular shift of this eccentric stud provides easy adjustment of these essential rela tions and eliminates the prior necessity of changing the whole support for such purposes. The bobbin is held in An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows in perspective a portion of the side of th hopper stand on which the swinging bobbin support mounted, the latter being shown in position thereon Fig. 2 is an exploded view of the improved swinging bobbin support and its means of mounting, viewed from the opposite direction to Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the side of the improved bobbin support which is visible in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the same as viewed from the front of the loom.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the bobbin support as it stands in Fig. 3.

Fig. 1 shows the relevant portions of a Draper type magazine or battery, and portrays the side thereof which faces toward the middle of the loom. The stationary hopper stand 1, fixed on the breast beam as usual,'carrice in its hub 3 the stud S on which are mounted the rotating bobbin disk and tip support as well as the weftend holder (none of which are shown). The transferrer stud 7 is shown fixed in hub 9 by set screw 11. 13 is a portion of the hopper stand foot which is fixed on the breast beam (not shown).

The novel bobbin support comprises an arm 15 preferably formed of aluminum or other light metal, of T or ribbed section for rigidity throughout the length of its shank 17, having a foot 19 which is ofiset laterally to extend outwardly of the loom below and past the bottom edge of the hopper stand 1, and curved on a radius whose center is at or near the axis of stud 5 when the bobbin support is in place on the battery.

In the vertical face 21 of foot 19 are fixed two pins or studs 23 and 25 around which are wrapped the respective ends of a hardened steel spring leaf 27 which forms the butt engaging, supporting, and guiding element of the device. The rear end 28 of spring leaf 27 is formed on a radius to hook over the pin 23. This pin is rolled into tubular form from carbon steel in initial sheet form, with the split 29 at the meeting edges of the component sheet left slightly agape and its ends beveled for easy insertion into the foot 19 and the bend 28 of the spring. The front end 31 is bent around for about /4 of a turn to embrace the stud 25, and is indented at the point 32 at mid-width near its free extremity to form an inward projection fitting into a groove 33 in stud 25 to hold it on the stud. This stud has a portion 35 of enlarged diameter providing a shoulder to fit against the face 21 of foot 19 and another shoulder engaged by the front loop 31 of spring 27 and acting as a positioning stop for the spring in putting it into place thereon.

The frontward face 34 of the front loop 31 is not arcuate but flat, and is disposed obliquely to the vertical, slanting downwardly and forwardly of the loom so as to form a guide-surface holding the descending bobbin butt in contact with the usual stationary bobbin guide (not shown) as the bobbin support is forced rearwardly when the butt is driven down between them. This prolonged engagement between the bobbin support and the bobbin butt extends the control of the descending bobbin materially beyond that hitherto attained. Being thus guided between two opposing surfaces throughout an increased portion of its descent, the chance of deviation of the butt is lessened and the certainty of proper entry and seating of the butt within the jaws of the shuttle is substantially increased.

The bobbin support 15 is pivotally mounted by means of its hub 37 upon the eccentric cylindrical portion 39 of a hollow stud or bushing 41 fixed to the inward surface of hopper stand 1 of the battery by a cap screw 43 and lock washer 45. One end of the stud or bushing has a cylindrical extension 47 coaxial with the hole through which screw 43 extends, and this is received in a counterbcre at the mouth of the tapped hole in hopper stand 1 which receives screw 43. Arm 15 of course swings free on the fixed stud 41, eccentric surface 39 being longer than hub 37. A faceted head 49 retains the arm on the stud, and affords means for adjusting the angular position of the stud about its axis when screw 43 is backed off slightly. As is obvious, shift of the stud in this manner about its axis raises or lowers the working position of foot 19 and the bobbin supporting spring 27 to suit bobbin butts of different diameters and to compensate for wear and errors in machining or setting up of the battery parts, to insure the holding of the bobbin butt up tightly in its notch in the bobbin disk.

Retractor spring 51 hooked through eye 53 as usual holds the bobbin support yieldingly in its vertical supporting position as determined by the engagement of its pad 55 with bumper 57 fixed in bracket 59 mounted in late 1. p While I have illustrated and described a certain form in which the invention may be embodied, I am aware that many modifications may be made therein by any person skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the claims. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the particular form shown, or to the details of construction thereof, but what I do claim is:

1. A bobbin support for automatic loom batteries comprising in combination a swinging arm, spaced members extending laterally therefrom at right angles to the plane in which the arm swings, and means mounted on such members and bridging the space therebetween and supporting the head of a bobbin in the battery in delivery position.

2. The combination according to claim 1 in which the means mounted on the spaced members is resilient and inherently flexible.

3. In an automatic loom battery, in combination, a hopper stand, an arm pivotally mounted thereon, having an offset foot extending below the bottom edge of the hopper stand, spaced studs fixed in such foot, and a bobbon-butt support mounted on such studs.

4. In an automatic loom battery, in combination, a hopper stand, an arm pivotally mounted thereon, having an offset foot extending below the bottom edge of the hopper stand, spaced studs fixed in such foot, and a spring leaf supported by such studs and supporting the bobbin butt.

5. In an automatic loom battery, in combination, a hopper stand, an arm pivotally mounted thereon, having an offset foot extending below the bottom edge of the hopper stand, spaced studs fixed in such foot, and a spring leaf having its ends hooked around the studs and supporting the bobbin butt.

6. A bobbin support for rotary loom battenes comprising in combination a hopper stand, an arm pivotally mounted thereon having an oifset foot extending under the bottom edge of the hopper stand, means yieldingly holding the arm in vertical relation, the arm being made of light-weight metal whereby its inertia and momentum are reduced, and a bobbin-butt support of spring steel resiliently mounted on the offset foot.

7. In an automatic loom battery, in combinatlon, a hopper stand, an arm pivotally mounted thereon, having an offset foot extending below the bottom edge of the hopper stand, spaced studs fixed in such foot, a spring leaf supported by such studs and supporting the bobbin butt, and means for varying the eifective radius of the arm to raise or lower the working position of the foot and the spring leaf to suit bobbin butts of different diameters and to compensate for wear and other departures from proper dimensions of the parts of the mechanism.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,029,948 Ryon June 18, 1912 1,350,093 Davis Aug. 17, 1920 1,963,916 Lindsjo June 19, 1934 2,001,667 Lackey May 14, 1935 2,221,732. Brown Nov. 12, 1940 2,380,709 Shoesmith July 31, 1945 2,426,759 Blanchard Sept. 2, 1947 2,455,463 A, Bahan Dec. 7, 1948 

